The Lex 100: Archives

1. Dyson wins five-year legal battle over EU energy labelling laws [via The Independent]

2. Major UK firms to microchip employees [via The Week]

3. Iceland to let loose animatronic orangutan after Christmas ad ban [via The Guardian]

4. Brexiteers call for cabinet to reject draft agreement [via Sky News]

5. CNN takes legal action against President Donald Trump [via The Week]

6. Coca-Cola scales back UK Christmas truck tour after protests [via The Guardian]

7. Struggling Flybe confirms it is up for sale [via Sky News]

8. Singles Day: Alibaba racks up record £24bn of sales in just 24 hours [via The Independent]

9. Police in talks to scrap ‘reasonable grounds’ condition for stop and search [via The Guardian]

10. British high street losing 14 shops a day, new research shows [via The Independent]

On 4th December the experts at Taylor Wessing will be breaking down what a career at the firm could look like, using your transferable skills and specific knowledge to add value to their firm’s clients and industry sectors. The closing date for applications is 30 November. Register now for this unique opportunity https://bit.ly/2DtZiXX

The new Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) was originally slated for a 2020 launch, but the SRA has postponed plans after law firms and education providers indicated a ‘strong preference’ for a delay.

According to the SRA, the deferral will give these institutions more time to develop training and to transition to the new system.

The SRA also announced that the proposed assessment, which is split into two parts, will cost somewhere between £3,000 and £4,500. The SQE 1, which predominantly tests the application of legal knowledge, will cost between £1,100 and £1,650, while the SQE 2, which focuses on more practical skills, will cost between £1,900 and £2,850.

It was also revealed that the SQE provider – education company Kaplan – will be running pilots in 2019 to test the effectiveness of the new assessment. Kaplan has also decided to reduce the number of multiple-choice questions in the SQE 1: shrinking from 680 questions across six exams to just 360 over three.

Former University of Law president and current consultant Nigel Savage told Legal Business: ‘I’m delighted they’re just getting on with it to be honest. It’s a good idea to give the firms more time, in my engagement with them they are only just beginning to understand the impact of the SQE and how it will re-draw legal education.’

On the reported fees, Savage argued they were fair. He said: ‘Kaplan has put in a huge amount of resources and it was a monumental task. Getting the infrastructure necessary to complete these tests across the whole country is not easy.’

The reduction in the number of multiple-choice questions will also please others in the profession. In January 2017, the City of London Law Society (CLLS) voiced concerns over the multiple-choice element, arguing the format would not test legal knowledge comprehensively.

The delay compounds a hectic week for the SRA, announcing on 6 November a major of relaxation rules that will allow solicitors from unregulated businesses to offer unreserved legal services .

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The Law Society’s recommendations for a common set of standards were published as part of a guidance document on 6 November, with the standout focus being on how partner remuneration is included in gender pay gap reporting.

Recommendations include firms distinguishing between equity and non-equity partners, publishing a full time equivalent (FTE) compensation gap based on the full financial year and reporting on partner bonus schemes. It also suggests firms outline their pay figures in three separate reports: one covering all employees, with the other two detailing employee and partner figures separately.

The guidance also says firms with fewer than 250 staff should be obliged to report their gender pay figures. Government legislation introduced last year ensures all employers with over 250 staff detail their gender pay disparity, however the regulations do not include the mandatory publication of partner gay gaps. The Law Society is also pressing for accompanying action plans on how firms will address gaps.

‘Law firms can get ahead of the curve by assessing and tackling the range of pay gaps that may exist in their organisation,’ said Law Society president Christina Blacklaws. ‘We have worked with the profession to develop a common set of standards that provide the level of transparency expected by firms’ clients, people and the public.’

Law firms have this year been criticised for sluggish progress on tackling gender pay disparity. Pinsent Masons senior partner Richard Foley in March called for changes to the gender pay reporting regime ahead of next year, saying there was a perception hardening that lawyers and accountants are trying to duck the issue by not publishing their partner numbers.

Since then, Clifford Chance (CC) and Allen & Overy (A&O) have been among those to publish partner pay figures, with neither making for inspiring reading.

Macfarlanes, meanwhile, was the latest firm to disclose its pay gap at the partner level, revealing an average gap of 55% at the top, while the median figure made for starker reading at 73%.

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19 November 2018 – Sheffield (Riverside East House, 2 Millsands, S3 8DT)

12 November 2018 – Leeds (2 Wellington Place, LS1 4BZ)

22 November 2018 – Bristol (One Castlepark Tower Hill, BS2 0JA)

22 November 2018 – Newcastle (Wellbar Central, 36 Gallowgate, NE1 4TD)

26 November 2018 – London (40 Holborn Viaduct, EC1N 2PZ)

27 November 2018 – Gatwick (Belmont House, Station Way, Crawley, RH10 1JA)

29 November 2018 – Manchester (One St. Peter’s Square Manchester, M2 3AF)

04 December 2018 – Southampton (Brunel House, 21 Brunswick Pl, SO15 2AQ)

05 December 2018 – Birmingham (Imperial House, 31 Temple St, B2 5DB)

If you would like to attend an open evening at one of Irwin Mitchell’s offices, please send your CV and a covering letter to Craig Thompson, Head of Graduate Recruitment at [email protected] with the subject line ‘request to attend an open evening in [office]’.

Within your covering letter, please include details of:

• why you are interested in hearing more about Irwin Mitchell at the selected office
• which stream you are most interested in hearing about and your reasons why

Spaces are limited so the firm will advise you on whether your application has been successful a week in advance of the open evening.

1. Qatari firm buys London’s Grosvenor House hotel [via The Guardian]

2. PepsiCo launches bid for Pipers Crisps [via BBC News]

3. Amazon to split second headquarters into two locations – report [via The Guardian]

4. Persimmon boss pushed out over £75m bonus row [via Sky News]

5. Girl Scouts sue Boy Scouts over planned name change [via BBC News]

The Department for International Trade had opened consultations on its tactics for free trade agreements (FTAs) with Australia, New Zealand, the USA and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.

It said FTAs offered opportunities to include certain provisions such as ‘standards, licensing and recognition of qualifications.’

The SRA said in response: ‘Recognition of professional qualifications should not be based on reciprocity but assessed on a case-by-case basis, to ensure that consumers’ interests are protected, and any restrictions are targeted and proportionate.

‘We need to balance the advantages of an open and competitive market in legal services against the need for practitioners to be competent to practise as solicitors of England and Wales.’

Currently, the SRA offers the Qualified Lawyers Transfer Scheme (QLTS) as a means for foreign lawyers from recognised jurisdictions to qualify as solicitors in England and Wales.

In September 2020, the QLTS will be replaced by the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE), a new standardised admission process which drew controversy from the profession due to its simplified nature .

The SRA asserted ‘through the SQE we will assess the competence of all candidates, both domestic and international on a comparable basis.’

Such scepticism from the SRA contributes to a largely ambiguous forecast of the UK’s legal sector in a post-Brexit world. In September, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) published guidance with the conclusion that if no deal is reached with the EU, the UK will have to rely on domestic common law rules currently applied to cases involving non-EU countries for cross-border disputes.

And in an ironic announcement unlikely to inspire confidence, the MoJ also recommended that those likely to be involved in civil cases on 29 March 2019 should seek legal advice.

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What will it involve?

The day will be packed full of activities including: handling work in one of our departments, interactive spotlight presentations on our practice areas and life as a trainee, taking part in skills workshops to prepare you for application season and attending networking events.

Who should apply?

The Insight Day is open to students in their penultimate or final year studying law or final year of a non-law degree. If you have a genuine interest in a career in law and are looking for a firm which is innovative, ambitious and friendly then we are keen to hear from you.

How to apply?

Please visit rpc.co.uk/strikinglyreal and complete the online application form. Applications must be received before 17.00 on 8 November 2018.

Questions?

Please email Chloe Rowan: [email protected]

The promotion round, effective of January next year, sees a notable increase in associates making the cut in London, with just two being made up last year in the City. Globally the firm’s 31 promotions equal last year’s round, which saw New York receive the lion’s share of promotions.

While London outstripped New York this year, Manhattan still saw six associates make partner with corporate and tax being the primary beneficiaries. Overall, 21 lawyers were promoted across the firm’s US branches in New York, San Francisco, Washington DC, Boston, Silicon Valley, Los Angeles and Houston.

Meanwhile, European promotions meanwhile dwindled from three last year to just one this year, with Max Hauser being minted in Frankfurt. There were also no promotions in Asia this time around, whereas two were made up last year.

The firm’s corporate and finance practices unsurprisingly made up the majority of the firm’s City promotions, with six and three associates being promoted in the practices respectively. Globally, 23 of the 31 promotions came in either corporate (14) or finance (nine).

Peter Gilhuly, chair of the firm’s associates committee, said progression at Latham is the culmination of a multi-year process that involves ongoing professional development, business planning, formal evaluations, and informal feedback. The committee, which comprises roughly half partners and half associates, recommends promotions to partner and counsel each year.

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1. Frankie & Benny’s owner to buy Wagamama in £559m deal [via Sky News]

2. Can Trump end birthright citizenship by executive order? [via The Week] 

3. Uber challenges ruling on drivers’ rights at court of appeal [via The Guardian] 

4. Asia Bibi: Pakistan court overturns blasphemy death sentence [via The Guardian] 

5. Facebook: MPs in new attempt to question Mark Zuckerberg [BBC News]

6. WH Smith finally realises its American dream [The Times]

7. Pharmaceutical company charged after death and illnesses of babies at hospitals across UK [via The Telegraph]